One thread has caught my eye because of the very interesting points of view presented on the thread. It is
Aragorn's Political Skills , started by
Boromir88.
There has been a good turnout of thoughtful comments from a variety of Downers with surprisingly little of our usual riding of favourite hobby horses.
And I like the careful discrimination among heroic ideal, political skills, good judgment, and humane considerations.
Tolkien clearly had a vision of ideal monarchy which few people today share, so I think such a discussion is valuable. (Unless one follows the Diana vs Camilla intrigues.
) I also am very intrigued by
Saurreg's analysis of Aragorn's battle decisions and how they relate to the narrative or fantasy elements. All in all, I think, a useful discussion! Kudos to Boro for starting it!